The city of Oakland is grappling with a significant $265 million budget deficit, leading to widespread spending cuts across various departments and programs. City leaders have labeled the new fiscal plan a “nobody’s happy budget.” However, in a striking contradiction to the overall cuts, the budget for police overtime has seen a substantial increase.
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) has a long history of overspending its overtime allocations by millions of dollars each year, and the trend shows no sign of slowing. In the fiscal year ending in June 2024, OPD reported spending over $55 million on overtime, which is more than double its planned budget for that line item.
For the current fiscal year ending June 30, the department is estimated to exceed its $25 million overtime budget again, but precise figures remain unclear. The city last shared forecasts in mid-May, indicating that OPD was on track to blow its budget by at least $26 million.
Among those reaping substantial overtime earnings, 169 officers made over $100,000 in additional pay last year, with 27 officers exceeding $200,000. The standout was Timothy Dolan, OPD vice president of the police union, who earned nearly $500,000 in overtime alone in 2024.
Sgt. Huy Nguyen, the president of the Oakland Police Officers Association, pointed to the city’s high crime rate and low staffing levels as primary reasons for the continuous overtime overspending. He emphasized that officers are reluctant to take on extra hours, stating, “People don’t want to work overtime; people want to go to work and they want to go home.”
Despite Nguyen’s assertions, a recent analysis from various city unions challenges the notion that staffing shortages and crime rates are solely to blame for the rising overtime costs. Researchers from IFPTE Local 21, SEIU 1021, and IBEW 1245 highlighted that overtime expenses surged even as the number of sworn officers increased, and similarly, overtime spending rose during years when crime decreased.
The new budget allocates a record $72 million for police overtime over the next two fiscal years, with $34 million earmarked for the first year and $38 million for the second. If OPD continues its track record of overspending, these funds may fall significantly short of covering actual expenses.
Critics, including Cat Brooks, the executive director of the Anti Police-Terror Project, argue that police overtime is diverting essential funds from other city services. Brooks questioned, “What happens to the rest of our community members who need social services, who need departments to be open? All because of the insatiable appetite of the Oakland Police Department and their budget?”
The challenge for Oakland lies in effectively controlling its police overtime expenditures, which have contributed significantly to the city’s growing financial difficulties. City Administrator Jestin Johnson conceded in December that cuts to police and fire budgets were unavoidable. Despite an agreement to reduce police overtime spending by $25 million, city finance reports in February indicated that the actual savings would likely only total about $14 million.
There has been little communication from city officials regarding whether the savings goal was met, raising further questions about budget management. To curb upcoming overtime costs, the city aimed to require prior written approvals for all “foreseeable overtime” from both the mayor’s office and the city administrator’s office. However, there remains a lack of clarity on what constitutes “foreseeable overtime” and how this new policy would be enforced.
The tracking mechanisms employed by OPD for managing overtime have also come under scrutiny. A report from the city auditor in 2015 revealed an 80% increase in overtime costs over four years, citing unrealistic budget estimates and a lack of proper documentation, with nearly a third of overtime authorization forms missing.
Subsequent reviews in 2019 and 2022 indicated that OPD had made little progress in adhering to the auditor’s recommendations, which included 21 strategies aimed at better managing overtime. In light of these ongoing issues, city administrators announced plans in 2022 for a new digital scheduling system intended to streamline overtime management, with completion originally projected for December 2024.
Despite the optimistic outlook, reports in November indicated that development on the scheduling system had stalled due to unspecified “contractual issues,” leaving many of the auditor’s recommendations unaddressed.
Orsolya Kovesdi, a staff member of the city auditor’s office and author of the 2019 audit, expressed concern about the lack of technological advancement within OPD, stating, “Nothing is really changing. It seems things are going backward rather than going forward.” With over half of the auditor’s recommendations still not fully implemented and setbacks on the new scheduling system, the city faces pressing questions about its ability to manage police overtime effectively.
The ongoing struggle to rein in police overtime expenses in Oakland illustrates not only the challenges related to law enforcement budgeting but also highlights the wider impact on essential city services and community needs. As the city grapples with its budgetary constraints, the spotlight remains on the OPD, as community stakeholders continue to call for more accountability and transparency regarding police spending.
image source from：oaklandside
